Meet the man who's done it all...

I've had the immense honor of interviewing Mr. Richard McSpadden and I can't even begin to express how impressed I am! Mr. McSpadden started flying as a teenager and has logged over 5,000 hours flying a variety of civilian and military aircraft. He served in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years, including as commander and flight leader of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds where he led over 100 flight demonstrations flying the lead aircraft. Currently, he serves as Senior Vice President of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and leads a team of certified flight instructors and content creators who develop and distribute aviation safety material to advance general aviation safety industrywide.

Mr. McSpadden, you have had such an incredible career. You were a commander and flight leader at the United States Air Force Thunderbirds and today you are Senior Vice President of AOPA. Could you please tell the audience a little bit about your career path and what motivated you to get into the field of aviation?

My father was a huge influence on my decision. He started taking flight lessons in his 40s, when I was a freshman in college. He was a hard-working man and I’d never seen such joy in him. He encouraged me to take it up and I found that many of the skills I’d honed in my life up to that point harmonized. Flying was immediately rewarding to me and something I thought I could do well and would enjoy.

You were a commander at the US Air Force Thunderbirds, which is my absolute dream job. Could you let us know what the experience was like?

This is always a tough question. I never feel like I do it justice. Imagine yourself dripped in red, white and blue, flying corner to corner in this country you love and swore an oath to defend, in one of the most advanced flying machines ever built, representing the most dominant and respected Air Force in the world. I loved every minute of the job: representing the power, pride, and precision of the USAF; commanding an organization; and flying the lead jet on a team stacked with exceptional aviation talent. When you close your eyes and dream of what that must be like, in reality it’s far more than you can dream.

It sounds like the honor of a lifetime and the greatest experience I can imagine! Could you please tell us more about what your current work entails?

I lead a small team of certified flight instructors and content providers that work to advance aviation safety. We impact how pilots fly by influencing how they think through engaging and educational content. We also get involved with advocating for aviation safety with government entities and local authorities and organizations. And we engage in research on aviation safety and produce the annual report on general aviation safety that’s used throughout the industry to measure trends and set aviation safety strategy. It's another dream job.

What is that you like most about your current job?

It’s hard to say what I like most. There’s a lot to like. I have a great boss; an incredibly skilled and passionate team at ASI and we work among a deeply talented and committed team here at AOPA. It’s fun and rewarding to work among a group of people so committed to protect and grow general aviation and keep it safe. I also get to do a lot of traveling and fly with a lot of interesting and very talented general aviation pilots in some cool airplanes.

What skills and knowledge have been most important for your career in aviation?

It changes, through the years as you progress. When I started my USAF career, I was a pilot, a technician. The most important skill was to be the very best pilot I could be and I worked hard at it. Then, progressing through the ranks and moving up, my piloting skills were the ante to stay in the game, but to advance I needed to learn teamwork, leadership and managing skills. People skills and human psychology gets more and more important the higher up you move in an organization. Now, I’m not the best pilot in the room or the brightest aviation expert. My critical skills are to find those people and help them thrive. Move obstacles out of their way, help them hone their goals to harmonize with the organization and find the resources to help them bloom. It’s fantastically rewarding.

What advice would you give young students like me who dream of joining the Air Force?

Do it! The Air Force has a motto: "Service before self". That simple guidepost will teach you so much about yourself and about life.

What has been the most memorable moment of your incredible career journey to date?

I have so many great memories, it’s hard to choose a single one. The best of them involve people. Flying with my dad and teaching each of my children how to fly are fond memories I’ll cherish forever. I did some fantastic flying in the F-15 with some colleagues I respected immensely. Huge influences on me beyond flying. We had a lot of great moments on the Thunderbirds, yes the flying, but we met with some amazing people, living inspirational lives. Here at AOPA I’ve done just incredible flying that you can only do in this country with some unbelievably talented and fun…really fun people. That’s the thing about aviation. It will change your life. Not primarily due to flying. It’s the people you meet. Passionate, positive people that are attacking life!

Thank you, Sir. This has been such an inspiring interview and I am now even more excited about pursuing a career in aviation! Thank you for taking the time to respond to my questions. It's truly been an honor and a privilege!